Apparatus for overhead traction.



No. 630,250. Patented Aug. I, I899.

c. A. MARY.

APPARATUS FOR OVERHEAD TRACTION.

(Application filed Jan. 2a, 1899-) (no model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet Win: 8 sas fluent?- 111: uoRms virus co. mow-unto WASHINGTON. o. c.

No. 630,250. Patented Aug.

C. A. MARY.

APPARATUS FOR OVERHEAD TRACTION.

(Application filed Jan. 26, 1899.)

QNu Modal.)

-Sheot 2.

N0. 630,250. Patented Aug. I, I899.

C. A. MARY. APPARATUS FOR OVERHEAD TRACTION. 1

(Application filed Jan. 26, 1899.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet a. on!

1155'): e s s e s ;7;Ue 774w? TH: norms Pawns ca. Pam-ammo WASHINGTON.u, c, I

UNlTiEiD STATES CHARLES ANTOINE MARY, OF PARIS PATENT OFFICE.

, FRANCE.

APPARATUS FOR OVERHEAD TRACTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 630,250, dated August1, 1899. Application filed January 26,1899. Serial No. 703,505. (Nomodel.)

To all] whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES ANTOINE MARY, a citizen of France, residingat Paris, France, have invented certain new and usef ul Improvements inApparatus for Overhead Traction, of which the following is aspecification.

The object of this invention is to provide an economical apparatus forrapid and easy overhead traction, particularly available for thetransport of people in great agglomeraillOIlS.'

The-essential features of my said invention are the form and compositionof vehicles which are arranged so that the up and down lines are onebelow the other, so as to use the same supports for each, thusdecreasing very much the cost price.

The vehicles can be propelled by any suitable means. For example, thevehicles according to my invention maybe provided with any suitablemotor, such as an electromotor, which may be furnished either byaccumulators or by a trolley. It is easily understood. Rope traction canalso be used. This seems to be the best way for lines that are not toolong.

The vehicles are made very light, as will hereinafter appear, and as thetraction-rope will have but little strain to overcome it may consist ofasimple steel wire of comparatively small diameter.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a broken side elevationshowing portion of a traction-line embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is atop plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail vertical sectional viewshowing one of the supporting-posts, a guideway, its supporting-bracket,and a truck with which the car is connected; and Fig. 4 is a horizontalsectional view taken on the line C D, Fig. 3.

The vehicles according to this invention consist of two balloons a b orequivalent hollow vessels arranged tandem and of flat elongated figure.The frameworks of both balloons are rigidly connected together, so thatwhen traveling one of them, a, precedes directly the other, I). A car 0is connected to the framework between the balloons by gimbal-joints orotherwise in such a manner as to be kept level and steady. This car mayalso be arranged below the balloons by a ropeand-Winch device, the ropepassing over a rope-pulley fixed beneath the framework and the Winchbeing secured to the car. These cars may contain from eight to tentravelers and the conductor.

It is desirable to approximately maintain the cars or vehicles inequilibrium, and this may be accomplished by ballast provided in thecars or vehicles and at stations. When a passenger enters a car at astation, ballast approximately equal to the Weight of the person can beremoved, and, conversely, when a passenger leaves a car ballastapproximately the weight of the person can be restored to the car orvehicle.

Each balloon is strengthened by cross rods and stays, some of which, 6and f, form the axles of the vehicle. At each end they have a truck 7t,provided with suitable runners which run in guideways g, constitutingthe railway-lines on either side of the vehicles. These guideways aresupported by a series of posts h at each side of the traction-line, liketelegraph-poles, the up and down pairs of guideways being one above theother and carried by the same posts. In one of these guideways of eachline is the traction-cablep,driven by a motor at one of the extremitiesof the railway.

Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate a post and a guideway containing thetraction-cable and the end of an axle. On the posts hare bolted or fixedin any other way the supporting-brackets 2', having recesses containingthe guideways, which preferably consist of square-section tubes j, inwhich the runners of the train travel. The said tubes j havelongitudinal slots for the passage of the axles; but it is obvious thatthe section of my guideways may be different, its essential featurebeing its tubular form provided with slots-for the passage of piecesprojecting from the vehicle and maintained in the tube by any suitablemeans.

As stated, each axle is provided at its end with a truck 7a, whichpreferably consists of a flat piece secured to the axle by bolts Z. Onthis truck 7.: are arranged in any suitable way three or more wheels orrunners to fit the tube, one or more, m and n, vertically and the otheror others, 0, horizontally. The former, m and n, have their pivotsparallel to the axles of the vehicle, and their diameter is a littleless than the inner height of the guideways. These runners are, so tospeak, the wheels of the train. The horizontal runners 0 have for theirobject to avoid the pitching of the vehicle. For this purpose they bearupon the lateral faces of the guideways.

The traction-cable is situated in the guideway at the angle left free bythe runners. One of the parts projecting from the vehicle into theguideway carries a gripper q, extending outward, so as to be capable ofbeingoperated by the conductor to grip the cable or to loosen its holdon it for tract-ion or stopping.

The passage of the vehicles from one line to the other is effected byany ordinary means, such as switches provided at the requisite places inthe guideways opposite each truck The train will pass from one line tothe other, the axles being guided by suitable means.

It is obvious that to the above-described means there may be added allother suitable ones used in that kind of railways. Also means may beprovided at suitable points on the line for refilling the balloons. Intracing the track there must always be maintained a straight line, andit is easy, as the trains, according to my invention, will not meet withhindrances over which they could not pass. Indeed, the tractingstrainwill not be increased by climbing up an incline, because the weight ofmy vehicles is very little, as they are in equipoise.

What I claim is 1. An overhead-railway vehicle consisting of twoballoons or series of pairs of balloons of flat and elongated form, withtheir frameworks rigidly secured to each other, the cars being attachedin any suitable way to the framework between two balloons insuch amanner as to obtain a train occupying only a small space in height toallow the placement of the up and down lines one below the other andsupported by the same posts, substantially as described.

2. In an overhead-railway system, the com bination of the upper andlower sets of slotted tubes, the supporting-posts, two lines of carshaving wheeled trucks traveling in the slotted tubes, one line above theother, cables run ning in the tubes, and cable-grips on the wheeledtrucks, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

CHARLES ANTOINE MARY.

lVitnesses:

EDWARD P. MAOLEAN, ALFRED FREY.

